Pianoforte.



No. 642,467. Patented 1an. 3o, |900.

G. AF. LYON.

PIANOFORTE.

(Appximion mea Nov. 2o, 189e.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Modal.)

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No. 642,467. Patented Jan. 30, |900. G. F. LYON.

PIANDFURTE (Application filed Nov. 20, 1898.) (No Model.) Y 2 Sheen-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE FRANTZ LYON, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

PIANOFORTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 642,467, dated January 30, 1900.

Application led November 20, 1896. Serial No. 612,905. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GUsrAvE FEANTZ LYON, a citizen of France, and a resident of Paris, in the Department of the Seine, France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pianofortes, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to pianofortes, and has for its object to provide a new and iinproved grand piano which, while constituting one instrument or structure, embodies two grand pianos within a single casing, econo- Inizin g space, and wherein there are two keyboards arranged at opposite sides thereof, with a single sounding-board spanning the intervening space, treble-string bridges for both keyboards, and a bass-string bridge arranged between the same and at the center of the sounding-board, and appropriate strings connected to said bridges, which arrangement results in increased bass resonance.

To the end stated the invention consists in a duplex piano constructed as hereinafter described and claimed,'reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top plan showing the sounding-board and the arrangement of the stringbridge. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the instrument, the cover being removed; Fig. 3, a sectional view on the line A B, Fig. 2.

In the said drawings,the reference-numeral l indicates the casing of the instrument, and 2 2 the two keyboards, arranged at opposite sides thereof in such manner that two performers may face each other in performing on the piano. The piano is provided with two sets a a of treble or steel strings arranged in one plane and two sets l) b of bass or wound strings overstrung or arranged in a higher plane.

The numerals 3 3 designate the bridge of the treble strings, and 5 5 the bass-string bridge, composed of two parts. The bridges for both classes of strings are arranged upon the sounding-board 7, which spans the space between the keyboards 2 2', and, as will be seen, the two-part bass-string bridge 5 5 is arranged between the treble-string bridge and at the center of the sounding-board, whereby the greatest possible resonance is secured for the bass-strings.

The instrument embodies two suitable actions 8 8', two wrest-planks 9 9', two sets of treble-string pegs l0 10 and their hooks 1l 11', and two sets of bass-string pegs 6 6', and two sets of hooks l2 12 for such strings, and so other usual auxiliaries are employed in duplicate, but since my invention does not specifically relate thereto it will not be necessary to set them forth.

It will be seen that the tension of the sets of strings a t opposes that of the sets a Z9, practically neutralizing the strain, to the material advantage of the instrument and enabling the latter to be constructed of lighter material without sacrificing strength.

The structure is braced efficiently and simply by a single diagonal brace B, extending longitudinally of the casing.

I-Iaving thus described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. A double piano comprising a single casing having two keyboards arranged at opposite sides thereof, and a single soundingboard spanning the space between said keyboards, in combination with bridges for the treble strings of both keyboards, a bassstring bridge located between the treblestring bridges and at the center of the sounding-board, and treble strings connected with the treble-strin g bridges and overstrnng bass strings connected with the bass-strin g bridge, substantially as described.

2. A double piano comprising a single casing having two keyboards arranged at opposite sides thereof, and a single soundingboard spanning the space between said keyboards, in combination with bridges for the treble strings of both keyboards, a bassstring bridge located between the treblestring bridges and at the center of the sounding-board, treble strings connected with the treble-string bridges, overstrung bass strings connected with the bass-string bridge, and a diagonal brace extending longitudinally of the casing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

eUs'rAvE EANTZ LYON.

Witnesses:

H. T. SMITH, J. O. LONG. 

